Agens
by Nimue47
Summary: In Country episode addition. Please R&R. 8)


Agens   
  
Author: Nimue - Nimue47@gmx.net  
Rating: PG-13  
Category: Harm/Mac   
Spoilers: In Country.  
Summary: In Country episode addition.  
Disclaimer: I don't own them.... Bellisarius Productions, Paramount and CBS do... No infringement intended.  
URL: http://oceanview.jetc.org/katef  
Feedback: Always welcome!  
Author's Note: This has been lying around on my computer for quite some time now. Caffey and Nieke found it there and forced me to finish it, lol. Thanks to Caff for the beta. Cimi this is for you. Miss you lots!   
  
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She snuggled deeper into the form beneath her. Trying her best not to fight the cobwebs of sleep and to let them engulf her once more, her ingrained curiosity got the better of her. She couldn't quite remember when she had felt so very secure. Nuzzling her nose against the scraping warm surface, she slowly became aware of her surroundings. One of his arms was draped across her back, his fingers resting against the side of her breast, the other also held her close, the hand firmly squeezing her behind. She had to remind herself that this had been their way of staying warm in the night. This was just about sharing body heat, nothing more.   
  
She couldn't help but nuzzle her nose deeper into the crook of his neck, not willing to let too much of the reality of their situation into her foggy mind just yet. She was rewarded with a groan from her sleeping partner, who tightened his hold on her and shifted his head slightly, burying his head in her hair.   
  
Deep inside, she hoped they could stay like this forever, their bodies melted into one another as if desperately trying to be one. Mac was astonished at how much this thought managed to wake her mind and body. But deep down inside she knew there was no way to get Harmon Rabb Jr. to let go of his fears. Smiling against his skin, she decided that it was okay to play with this idea a little and began to kiss his neck.   
  
Once again she was rewarded with a groan. Without opening his eyes, Harm muttered. "Let me sleep, Sarah, just another five minutes, baby." She chuckled. At least he knew who he was holding in his arms. Had he just called her baby?   
  
"Harm, we gotta get up." She freed herself from his grasp long enough to slide face to face with him, before he tightened his hold on her again. "Harm, come on."   
  
He wrinkled his nose as her hair tickled it. "No," he insisted. His voice had lost some of the sleepiness and could only described as pouting.   
  
"Do I have to start tickling you?" she threatened. He opened an eye in response, regarding her with an amused expression. She met his gaze without flickering, the threat still hanging heavy between them.   
  
With a slight jerk, he rolled them over, until he was covering her body with his. His arms had left her form long enough to pin her down, leaving her immobile and slightly out of breath. "You were saying?" he challenged, dipping his head down to place a kiss first on her forehead, then on her nose, and finally gracing her lips.   
  
"Morning, Mac," he smiled. "Did you sleep well?"   
  
"I did. But some big oaf decided to take advantage of me and held me close to him, his hands not exactly on appropriate places."   
  
"I recall some gruffy Marine snuggling into that big oaf nibbling at his neck."   
  
"You were supposed to be asleep," Mac choke out, her cheaks blushing.   
  
"With you in my arms? Not likely."   
  
"Gee, thanks, flyboy. You really do know how to flatter a girl."   
  
"Seriously, Mac. I haven't slept that well in ages, I woke up a while ago nevertheless. Sorry if I like having my Marine in my arms."   
  
Mac smiled up at him, batting her eyelashes. "We can do that on a regular basis, Squid. But for now, as much as I hate to spoil the mood, I got sand in my pants, in my hair, and just about everywhere. And on top of that, before long it's going to be pretty hot here."   
  
"Don't let me stop you." Harm smiled as she shot him a confused look. "You were talking about getting undressed, weren't you?"   
  
"Harmon Rabb, Jr., get your mind out of the gutter. I was talking about leaving, trying to find Clay, or anything remotely looking like an American base or patrol."   
  
Harm sighed, not wanting to move a muscle. "Do we have to?"   
  
She freed her hands to feel his temple, pulling it back as soon as she got into contact with it. She waved it in front of his face as if it got burnt. "Sunstroke. I think you suffered a sunstroke," she said, while managing to keep a straight face.   
  
"Ma-ac," he sighed, feigning annoyance, rolling off her reluctantly. "I'm not suffering a sunstroke. I just realized that I like having you close."   
  
"Harm, this sounds awfully like the talk you promised me a long time ago, and I really want to have that conversation with you, but can we do that while walking? Last time I checked we were lying here in the middle of the Afghan desert. Not my idea of safe territory, so we really should get out of here."   
  
"Agreed, Colonel," he sighed, heaving himself up from the ground. Once he stood, he held his hand out to Mac and pulled her up towards him, trapping her in his embrace once again.   
  
"Harm, you alright? You're scaring me," Mac said.   
  
"Yes, I'm fine," he sighed, holding her even tighter to him. "We could have been killed twice yesterday, you know."   
  
Mac looked up into his eyes, not sure what she was reading there. "But we weren't."   
  
"Sometimes I wonder if this-" he gestured all around himself, "is worth all the trouble. Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if I had never joined the Navy. You know, would I have a wife and kids already? Would I be deliriously happy?"   
  
"For the record, you're still scaring me, Counsellor. It wouldn't be you. The adventure, the near-death-experiences, the flying -- it's all a part of who you are. And we would never have met. I'm pretty sure I don't like that thought."   
  
Harm smiled down at her. "Sorry, maybe I really had too much sun, too much adrenaline in my body. And I'm planning to stay unattached, that's for sure. I've got a baby deal to fulfil soon and I won't have anything get in my way."   
  
"I'll count on that, Harm. Now let's go. We can talk about all that once we're back home. And don't you think I won't bring it up again."   
  
"One second." Harm smiled, squeezing her to him once more. He dipped his head down to catch her lips gently with his before he let go, his hand finding Mac's as he pulled his stunned Marine after him.   
  
Mac tried hard to regain her composure. To say she was shocked by his behaviour would have been an understatement. She was almost certain that the bombs falling around them had finally made him lose his mind. Even if they were alone in this desert they still were officers. Officers didn't walk around in combat gear holding hands. She had to remind herself then that it could not be called holding hands when one was being dragged along by the other.   
  
Harm only let go of the hand once they approached the search party, remembering military protocol. That did not keep him from watching her closely at all times though. His mind constantly wandering to what might happen back home. He realised with a start that he was not at all scared about it, he was actually looking forward to their talk, more kissing, screaming *I love Sarah* to the world. The thought of her walking down the aisle towards him filled him with a warmth he had not known before and it caused a goofy grin to appear on his features.   
  
Mac, on the other hand, was astonished bordering on scared by his sudden change in behaviour. When she muttered, "Don't I know," in reply to Gunny's fate of loving someone who did not return those feelings, Harm's head snapped towards her, the grin that had been plastered across his face all day faded, to be replaced with one of astonishment, shock, and what she thought to be hurt.   
  
He searched her face for any indication of whether or not he had heard her correctly. When she did not show any reaction to his scrutiny, he did not press the subject, figuring that there would be time for it later, at latest when back in the US.   
  
When they, finally, had the chance to talk, it was almost time to settle for the night. They had, naturally, been assigned to different tents, Mac was to share with Teresa Coulter, Harm with Victor Gallindez. Both were resistant to part ways again, so they settled for a long talk in Mac's tent, since Teresa was working overtime on DNA analyses. They sat together on her cot, facing each other. A comfortable silence stretched between them, each lost in thoughts of the other. Harm's thumbs were drawing lazy circles on the back of her hands, their fingers entwined.   
  
Mac worked hard on stiffling the jawn that, despite her efforts, still escaped. He looked at her in worry. "I should let you sleep, Mac. We will probably have a long day tomorrow and here I am keeping you awake."   
  
He bent towards her, gracing her lips with a peck. Before he could draw back, her lips responded eagerly, trying to prolong the moment indefinitely. When the need for air broke them apart, they hovered close to each other, their chests heaving with each hurried breath they took.   
  
"Stay," Mac managed through gasps.   
  
"There's nothing I'd rather do," Harm admitted, letting go of her hands to cup her face. "But I can't," he added, with regret. "There is so much we still need to talk about, and hotbunking without any reason like preventing hypothermia is more than frowned upon, Mac."   
  
"I know," she sighed. "I just happen to like waking in your arms."   
  
He smiled at her broadly. "Same here, Marine."   
  
She leaned in for another heated kiss, before lightly pushing him into the direction of the tent's opening. "Sweet dreams, Sailor. See you tomorrow morning."   
  
Still smiling, he wished her a good night, adding a "Love you, Sarah." With that, he turned around and walked out of the tent.   
  
Mac sat and blinked, unable to do anything else for a few minutes while her stomach was busy doing flipflops and her mind running wild, doubting that she actually heard correctly. But when she finally decided she had, a goofy smile spread across her face and she let herself fall onto the bed. Spreading her arms from her, she stomped her feet in no particular rhythm. Harmon Rabb had finally said he loved her.   
  
That was the time she also realized that he had just walked out of the tent without even once looking back, or wait for a reaction. "Damn that man," she muttered, getting up and storming out after her sailor. She caught up with him just as he was about to enter his tent, grabbing his hand and dragging him in. A swift glance around told her that Victor was not in. Before Harm knew what was happening, she claimed his lips in a passionate kiss, slowly backing him towards his cot. His legs buckled when he came into contact with the cot, letting himself fall backwards.   
  
His arms pulled her on top of him, causing her to squeal in momentary surprise, as she crashed onto him with full force, effectively knocking all air out of him.   
  
Noticing his struggle for oxygen, she halted her assault on his senses for a moment, weaving her hands through his hair. "You know." She smiled. "That was for walking out on me like that."   
  
"I should do that more often then," he chuckled, silencing her reply with another kiss.   
  
"Don't you dare, Squid," she growled in a low voice, when he finally let go again. "Love you too, by the way," she added, while quickly heaving herself up again. Getting up from the bed, she was at the tent's opening before his mind had registered that she was gone from his arms.   
  
She turned around, winking at him. "Are you going to lie like this forever, or are you actually going to walk me back, Harm," she teased.   
  
This was all it took to wake Harm out of his stupor. In the blink of an eye he was by her side, claiming her lips with his again. "Stay," he muttered, repeating her request from before.   
  
"Can't," she replied, burying her face in the crook of his neck.   
  
"Then let me," he suggested, hugging her as close as possible.   
  
"No," she sighed, "I have to be going. We have all the time in the world, Harm."   
  
"We do," he replied with a sigh. "But I still don't feel like letting you out of my sight, or my arms for that matter."   
  
"You won't have to for long. I plan to step into them soon again."   
  
"And you'd better believe that I will never again let you go."   
  
"Night, Harm." Mac smiled, freeing herself from his embrace. She stepped out into the cold immediately, since she knew that if she would give herself the liberty to stay just another second, she would not be able to resist temptation.   
  
"Night, baby," he muttered, letting go of her.   
  
She smiled at him sweetly, "Just remember that this baby can kick your ass any day." With that she turned and walked away.   
  
He followed her retreating form with his eyes, until she disappeared into her own tent. Only then he allowed himself to fall back onto his bed, heaving a long sigh of contentment. They finally seemed to be on the right track.   
  
End.   
  
Title explanation: Agens: lat. "the driving force" 


End file.
